Nightmare on Ad Street: Unmasking 2026’s Spookiest Ad Threats
Unmask hidden ad fraud this Halloween with IAS Threat Lab’s 2026 reports on Genisys, desktop app inventory, and Papyrus’s fake clicks and attention.
Papyrus: Inside a Mobile Scheme Built to Fake Clicks, Scrolls, and Attention
IAS Threat Lab has identified a new mobile ad fraud scheme, Papyrus, involving a cluster of novel-reading applications that monetize users’ reading sessions by running hidden browser activity in the background.
Desktop App Supply Is Booming, Transparency Needs to Keep Pace
Desktop app supply is booming, but transparency needs to keep pace. Read IAS's analysis of misclassified inventory, domain ambiguity, and ads rendering outside the user's view.
Inside Genisys: The 25-Million-Device Fraud Network Built with AI
Discover how the Genisys mobile ad fraud scheme used nearly 500 AI-generated domains to create a synthetic web, launder fraudulent traffic, and hijack everyday devices. Learn about IAS Threat Lab's action with Google to disrupt this operation.
Inside “Arcade,” the Gaming Web That Plays Itself
The IAS Threat Lab's latest discovery, Arcade, reveals a growing monetization pattern within the open web’s gaming ecosystem. Read more here.
IAS Threat Lab Uncovers Sophisticated Fraud Scheme Targeting Android Devices
What happens when utility apps turn into full-screen ad machines? The IAS Threat Lab has uncovered a global ad fraud scheme — codenamed “Mirage” — designed to mislead users, inflate installs, and exploit the mobile advertising ecosystem.
How IAS is Fighting Back Against the Shape-Shifting Kaleidoscope Scheme
Ad fraud is evolving — and so are we. The IAS Threat Lab has uncovered a sophisticated new threat dubbed Kaleidoscope — a deceptive Android ad fraud operation that’s as dynamic as it is dangerous. This scheme hides behind seemingly...
IAS Threat Lab Uncovers Extensive Fraud Scheme Leveraging Fake Android Apps
The IAS Threat Lab has uncovered an extensive and sophisticated ad fraud scheme, codenamed Vapor, that leverages fake Android apps to deploy endless, intrusive full-screen interstitial video ads.
IAS’s Commitment to Privacy in Google’s Privacy Sandbox
For the past two years, IAS has been working closely with Google and the IAB Tech Lab on the development and testing of Google’s Privacy Sandbox. Much progress has been made to ensure that critical programmatic advertising use cases —...
The Threat Lab Analyzes the Year’s Highest Ad Fraud Spikes
IAS's Threat Lab explores the reasons behind the highest ad fraud spikes in the year.
Fraud in Generative AI: A deep dive into how Gen AI affects marketers
The IAS Threat Lab evaluated the effects of generative AI on ad fraud, how it could speed up the prominence of ad fraud in the digital advertising industry, and how we continue to protect marketers from these emerging threats.
How Does Bot Traffic Vary Over Time?
It’s no secret that the digital advertising landscape is rampant with malicious bots designed to commit ad fraud. Safeguarding any campaign from fraud is essential — but the threat of fraud is especially present during the holiday season.
